West Manchester man gets state prison time in assault on wife, intimidation of witness

Myers, Davis' sister, and other family members were in the York County Judicial Center for the sentencing of Ronald Stephen Davis Sr., who had assaulted Debra Davis in January 2012 and then, while in prison, attempted to get his adult son to persuade her to drop the criminal charge.

A York County jury convicted Ronald Davis, 56, of simple assault, intimidation of a witness, criminal conspiracy to intimidate and criminal use of a communications facility in March.

Debra Davis, 51, died of complications from liver failure in January. She had been diagnosed with cancer in 1998, her daughter, Sabrina Ward, said.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office prosecuted the case because Debra Davis was the sister of Darryl Albright, chief detective for the York County District Attorney's Office.

After hearing from Myers, Albright and Ward, Judge Craig T. Trebilcock sentenced Ronald Davis to 46 to 92 months in state prison and a consecutive six years on probation. He also was ordered to have no contact with any of his wife's family.

Albright, speaking in court, said Ronald Davis was welcomed into the family 11 or 12 years ago. But, over the years, he noticed the man become ever more controlling.

Albright said he wished his sister had listened to Davis' ex-wife "and stayed away from him."

Ronald Davis also had been charged with attempted rape, aggravated indecent assault without consent and terroristic threats. Those charges were withdrawn after Debra Davis' death because she was the only witness to the allegations, deputy attorney general Daniel Dye said.

The domestic assault had occurred in the Davises' Rainbow Circle home in West Manchester Township.

While awaiting trial, Ronald Davis had called his son, Ronald Davis Jr., a service member who was home on leave, and asked him to talk Debra Davis into dropping the charges. According to West Manchester Township Police reports, Debra Davis refused.

Albright asked Trebilcock for a no-contact order.

"Most of the family lives in fear of his release," Albright said. "I'm not."

Ward said Davis "constantly belittled my mom and myself. He thought if he said 'jump,' she should say 'how high?'
"Even while in the hospital dying, she feared him," Ward said.

Ronald Davis told Trebilcock the first 10 years of his relationship with his wife were wonderful but the last year was horrible. He said the "true side (of the story) never came out."

"It's like there should be an equal sign there," Trebilcock said. "She's my wife, so I hit her."

Trebilcock said Davis viewed his wife as property and that sending his son to talk to her showed "he is willing to use anyone, including his own family members."

Trebilcock said Davis' lengthy probationary period was warranted because he is a danger to society.

"I don't know how it came to this late in life, but he's made up for lost time," Trebilcock said.

Debra Davis' family, from the left, Darryl Albright, brother, of East Manchester Township; Brenda Myers, sister, of Lower Windsor Township; and Sabrina Ward, daughter, of West Manchester Township, talked outside the York County Judicial Center on Monday after sentencing for Ronald Stephen Davis Sr. Davis, 56, was sentenced to 46 to 92 months in state prison for assaulting his wife, Debra Davis, 51, who died of complications from liver cancer in January. (YORK DAILY RECORD/SUNDAY NEWS - PAUL KUEHNEL)